7DP 192.1
BGM: Tojima Want to be a Kamen Rider(Really recommend the anime!)
１９２: The morning sun rises again, painting the world in its gentle light
TL : Cnine
ED/PF :
R1: [1-2], R2[3-4]
Part 1
【The eastern gate has been breached】――reported the Izanis messenger. In truth, however, it would be far more accurate to say that the gate had been flung open with tremendous force.
The demon warriors and devil soldiers clinging to the gates were blasted away, and the Dwarven Smith-Warriors surged forth like a flood unleashed from a shattered dam. There was no other word for it — the gate had been completely breached.
「GOGOGOGOGO!」
「SCRAM!」
「MAKE A WAY DARKLING!」
Axes gleamed, warhammers crashed, and masterpiece blades blazed with light as the Dwarven Smith-Warrior Corps advanced in perfect unity. Even demons wreathed in protective wards were torn apart like scraps of paper before their charge.
The mortally wounded Reiju clan warriors tried to shift their fatal injuries onto others through 【Transpose Curse】, but every curse rebounded off the master-forged enchanted armour — and they perished where they stood.
The field was strewn with countless corpses.
The streets of the royal capital, Evaloti, ran blue with blood.
「UWOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!」
「After them! Don’t falter!」
「Long live Defteros kingdom!」
Then came the human warriors clad in matching bronze-red armour — driving deeper into the gap the dwarves had torn through the enemy lines.
They were Defteros Kingdom’s finest — the Royal Guard, the nation’s greatest pride.
Formed from noble bloodlines as well as powerful magic users from the populace, the unit combined the discipline of veteran soldiers with the magic resistance of heroes and high priests. There was no other human force like them.
「【By divine might and royal will—】」
「【Let our noble spirit be forged into a blade!】」
Light like flickering flame danced along the blades of the Royal Guard as they cleaved into the demon ranks. Though it lacked the sanctified brilliance of a hero’s holy attribute, the glow bit deep into enemy barriers like a living curse — a spell wrought from the long, unbroken tradition of the Defteros Kingdom’s finest knights.
Through the breach they had secured, refugees fled with children in their arms. Forest elves stationed along the route wove speed-enhancing spells, shield-bearing soldiers followed in tight formation, and noble heirs — tasked with leading the evacuation — raised protective barriers to guide the people out of the doomed city.
「Ha! Run as far as you can, you cowards!」
Only then did the Demon King’s army grasp the truth: the royal capital was being abandoned.
「【CRIPPLE!】」
「【ROT AND FALL!】」
「【BURN TO ASHES!】」
Demon warriors and devil soldiers chanted their hexes. Beastfolk hurled stones with brute strength, while night-elf rangers drew back their bows.
The barrage was released all at once.
Hexes, stones, and arrows tore through the air toward those fleeing the capital――
「【For the sake of the people—】」
「【We offer our bodies as their shield!】」
In perfect unison, the Royal Guard raised their shields. Behind them, shimmering figures emerged — phantoms flickering like heat haze — until they took the form of towering knights bearing great shields.
――They were the spirits of Royal Guards long departed.
A magic woven from their souls and unwavering resolve.
Deep within the royal castle, the 【Great Sacred Tree】 trembled in harmony, its divine resonance sharpening the phantom knights’ forms.
Their wall of shields held firm, blocking the incoming volleys.
Stones and arrows were repelled, protecting the people――！
「YOU LITTLE!」
Yet the limits of human strength soon revealed themselves. Cursed flames tore through the radiant barrier, engulfing both Royal Guards and soldiers in burning agony. Far off, night-elf rangers loosed arrows with deadly precision — shafts slipping through the narrowest gaps in the shields, mercilessly striking down fleeing refugees and forest-elf spellcasters alike.
A sharp whoosh — a black-feathered arrow sliced the air, close enough to raise every hair.
A heartbeat later, it sped toward a young girl clutching her mother’s hand――
「Ugh!」
A soldier threw himself in front of her, his shield shattering from the impact. The arrow’s power and precision were almost divine — surely the work of one nearing the rank of Bow Saint.
「UNCLE!」
「Run, Nina! Don’t worry about me, I’ll catch up later!」
The soldier glanced back as he ran, reaching toward the girl with a grin. A thin trail of blood slipped from the corner of his mouth; the arrow that had pierced his shield was buried deep in his chest.
And yet―― he did not fall.
Forcing his gaze away from the girl, he planted his feet and raised his battered shield — now little more than scrap — to protect the townsfolk fleeing behind him.
「Tch」
The night-elf ranger who had loosed the arrow clicked his tongue in irritation. He had expected a killing shot, and the failure wounded his pride.
「...」
His cold, cruel eyes narrowed as he nocked another arrow.
This time, he deliberately aimed at the girl he had failed to kill. He wanted the soldier who had interfered to hear her final scream — to let it echo in his ears as punishment. Yes… keep running straight. Just a little closer to the gap between the shields—now!
「Fool.」
Just as he was about to release the arrow, a voice muttered behind him, and something knocked sharply against his head. His aim faltered, and the arrow veered wildly off-course.
「What the hell was that for!?」
He snarled, turning in anger — then froze, eyes widening.
Standing there was a young demon, brow furrowed in displeasure.
He recognised the face instantly — it was none other than the Seventh Demon Prince, Jilbagias Reiju!
「Y-YOUR HIGHNESS!」
It would have been bad enough to snap at a fellow demon — but a royal? And one to whom the night elves owed a great debt? His ghastly complexion somehow grew even paler.
「M-my deepest apologies!」
「Spare me the grovelling. If you’ve got time to shoot at children, aim for the enemy soldiers instead.」
「M-My deepest apologies!」
Flustered, the night-elf hurriedly turned and began firing arrows toward the soldiers and royal knights. Watching long enough to confirm obedience, Jilbagias gave a dismissive snort and turned his sharp gaze toward the city’s defence force.
No — perhaps “Royal Capital Escape Force” would be more accurate. Their movements were coordinated, though clearly not all units had withdrawn. Resistance within the castle continued, and the barrier of the 【Great Sacred Tree】 remained active, sending spell after spell to shield the retreating forces.
This confirmed that a significant portion of the royal army still held the castle.
As he watched, the once-endless stream of refugees exiting the castle gates dwindled — most had already made it out.
――A mighty roar resounded, and the screams of the Demon King’s army were drowned beneath the clash of steel.
「Bring it on, Demon King’s army!」
「Anyone looking to die, step right up!」
「Your spears will make a fine addition to my collection!」
The Dwarf Smith-Warriors had turned back, taking up the role of rearguard while the Royal Guard led the evacuating troops.
Blades of magical power shot from their axes, hammers crushed from afar, and their armour’s near-impenetrable magical resistance left even demons struggling to break through. Truly, there was no better choice for holding the rear.
The dwarves retreated in steady formation, matching the pace of the fleeing civilians while keeping the Demon King’s army at bay—
「Ah, you're!」
「The masterpiece!」
「You’ve been hiding here all along!」
Even in the midst of chaos, they spotted Jilbagias instantly.
It was no surprise; his silver scale-mail gleamed even in the faint dawn light.
「Sup! Fancy meeting you again.」
Jilbagias waved casually to them――
「――It's Ficelle!」
He spoke that name.
「What?」
The dwarves froze, eyes widening in shock.
「Ficelle? You mean that Ficelle Don Tecnitiss!?」
「That ba*stard is still alive!!」
「If it’s his work, then it makes sense!!」